brianr-14799 An old-guy-meets-young-guy love story, er, hate story, perhaps. In their first encounter, Armando, the old one, promises money to Elder, the young one, in exchange for removing his clothes while he masturbates. Elder is a supposedly-straight homophobe who wails the older, gay man in the face, leaving him passed out on the floor while he steals his wallet. That's their first "date". Then they keep coming back to each other for more.On the positive side, the acting is not half bad, especially from the young lead. He completely filled his character's shoes, right down to the body language. It didn't feel like he was acting at all. When he was supposed to be an asshole, he was a total asshole and then some. No matter how absurd the idea of his chemistry with Armando, his portrayal of unbridled passion was still shockingly convincing. The role of Armando does not require nearly as much acting by comparison. He mainly makes the same hollow face for the entire film, indicating that he just feels terrible all the time. There is nuance to both of the main characters which makes you simultaneously hate, pity, and maybe even root for them, capturing quite honestly at times the complexity of human nature and self-inflicted suffering. All the while the characters are exploiting one another, there is never a single moment or conversation that indicates a genuine mutual interest or respect has developed between them. Suddenly, romance appears to blossom out of a couple of drinks, which I found highly unbelievable given the characters' demeanors. Armando doesn't smile even when, against all odds, he gets what he's been dreaming of. Their mere togetherness suggests perpetual self-loathing on behalf of both characters, as they ultimately can't seem to resist hurting each other.An interesting change develops in one of the characters towards the latter part of the film, but then the story ends abrubtly and disappointingly. The lack of music in the end credits and the muted color palette perfectly exemplify the sense of emptiness one gets from the film in general. I was hoping for and somewhat expecting a different outcome. The story's arc does not seem based in reality. The characters, Elder in particular, frequently seem guided by an unseen hand that makes them do things real people probably wouldn't do. The overall product manifests like an intoxicated, angry, revenge fantasy in which a homophobic man gets his comeuppance, but not before first being objectified and salivated over like he's a piece of meat. If you're not already bitter, you might want to avoid watching this cold-hearted film.

ty_lattimore2007 I was not sure what to think about this film at first. It moves at a really slow pace. The two lead actors are amazing! They really save this movie from being a dud. I almost gave up about half way. It's hard to understand the motivation of the characters. The third act is what makes this movie stretch from mediocre to superb. Without spoiling anything it's worth the first two thirds of the movie just for the ending.

rixdav There may seem to be vacancies in the story but on thought they will be filled in and much thought must be given to those vacancies . . . who was the father, did he sexually abuse his children, why did Elder's father kill his friend?The ending is unusual, one may ask why, but our protagonist's lover was no romantic.This movie is based on a story by Guillermo Arriaga who also wrote Babel, 21 Grams and Amores Perros.

ward12 This is a beautiful and complex film that explores ideas of masculinity, love, family, dependence, while at the same time portraying a disturbing picture of a society in which privilege and money can buy anything. The manipulative Armando has at some point obviously been a victim himself, but his cultivation and ultimate betrayal of the teenager Elder is, in the end, disturbing and gives the film a bleakness that is totally unexpected. It's a very powerful portrayal of two characters who you initially might think you understand, but the director manages to completely change your sympathies and turn everything on its head. The sparse dialogue helps create an emotional tension that's at the heart of this movie. Intriguing and compelling.